Tom Cruise to receive AFI life achievement award in April

American actor Tom Cruise will receive a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute (AFI) at a ceremony to be held in Hollywood in April, organizers announced today.

AFI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the art of film, has presented the award annually since 1973. Previous recipients include Bette Davis, Gene Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and Tom Hanks, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

Cruise is widely regarded in the film industry as one of cinema’s biggest supporters, KosovaPress reports.

“As an actor and producer, he approaches everything he does with extraordinary dedication. I particularly appreciate his deep belief in the importance of films and their ability to bring people together,” said producer Kathleen Kennedy, chair of AFI’s Board of Trustees.

Cruise has received three Academy Award nominations in acting categories, and last year he was presented with an honorary Oscar in recognition of his long-standing contributions to the art of cinema.

Among his best-known films are Jerry Maguire, Minority Report, A Few Good Men, Rain Man, and entries in the Mission: Impossible franchise.

His latest film, Digger, failed to achieve the expected box office success. During its opening weekend in October, it ranked fifth in the United States and Canada.

Photo: Instagram/tomcruise